Lotsa Lunch, Lotsa Sunburn, a Little Freeway Phobia

I even saw the lights on the Goodyear Blimp/And they read . . .

Sun, sun, sun – damn I love Los Angeles. Stereotypes come from somewhere, people. Exiled in always-5-degrees-too-cold San Francisco, home of my usual metblog, I am forever cursing myself on sunny days for leaving the sweater at home when I know better.

I rolled into town today – unaware that I was taking my life in my hands along the way – and couldn’t wait to get out of the car and into the sunshine. Best way to spend an afternoon – a run, some sun, some lunch, some art, and some marine mammals, then get my Pedro-centric blog on . . . I gotta say it was a good day.

Running along some of Pedro’s prime sidewalks, I came across this waterside watercolor class – a row of them along the cliffs and half a dozen or so more spread out in the park, straw-hatted and smiling. Some painted the historic Pt. Fermin Lighthouse:

While others took in the blue below:

Deciding that I’d have enough exercise for the day, I decided to head over to Busy Bee for lunch and come back to the park to enjoy the weather. If you’re from San Pedro, you know that while our unparalleled coastal beauty can hold your attention, there’s little in the world that looks better than this:

That’s a torpedo, kids. And damn, it’s heaven on a piece of butcher paper.

After lunch, and what I can assure you was much, much too long in the sun unprotected, I headed up the street to Ma Griffe Galerie:

Their current show features paintings by Warren Scherich – most of which, to my highly untrained eye (and here’s where I should punt to the art.blogging.la peeps) was Picasso-esque with multiheaded, amorphous female figures who were literally beside themselves with color. Also on display, some thoughtful sculpture pieces by Charles Fulmer. The space itself is quite lovely – a converted house, open, airy, full of light and connected to somewhat cluttered, sparsely landscaped garden – er – jardin. The place seems to be crying out for a coffee bar or some kind of cafe-like addition which would’ve turned this brief gallery tour into a longer visit.

Before heading home, I stopped by to visit with the pinnipeds at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur. It was all sea lions today, some with splinted tail flippers, some that just seemed ill, and one with a potential foaming-at-the-mouth problem:

No one likes a rabid sea lion.

From sea animals to party animals – for the rest of the weekend, I’m all Democrats all the time at their State Party Convention. That means several iffy 110 commutes. I really hope I won’t have any photos likethese to contribute to the site. Actually, more to the point, I hope I’m not in photos like those.